Method of decarbonizing a carbon holding metal, for instance pig iron



reiem ua 22, 1939 mrrnoo or nowmo mama, IRON Ivar Bonner-felt, Djursholm, Sweden -No Drawing. Application No. -1i |8,012. in Sweden "reclaims.

My invention relates to improvements in methods for producing for instance soft iron particles to be used principally as a substitute for ordinary higngrade low'carbon scrap iron when'making steel in .open hearths and electric furnaces. The invention has-for its objects: first, to provide a cheap method suitable for decarbonlzing ordinary or high grade white or gray pig iron; second, to

provide amethod for eliminating at least a sub l stantial part of the sulphur present in the pig iron; third, to provide "a simple and rational method for decarbonizingpig iron at a temperature lower than the melting point; fourth, to provide a decarbonizing method that may be conveniently ed out in anyone of a considerable number 0 heating furnaces of well known types; fifth, to facilitate the production of high grade steel or alloys of uniform quality by supplying a high grade. soft iron'of uniform quality, available in abundant quantities; sixth, to provide a method adapted also for decarbonlzing metals and alloysingeneral.

The several objects of my invention are attained by first subdividing the carbon holding metal such as white orgray pig iron into more or less hollow granules, grains, a fine powder or thin flakes by means of mechanical crushing andgrinding-or by exposing the iron when in a liquid state to the action of water, air or steam. This may be done by pouring the iron into a pool of water or by blowing air or steam onto a jetof iron flowing from a furnace or a ladle, To obtain the ironinthe shapeofthinflakesitmightbe which may be cooled in any suitable manner.

The finely subdivided iron is then exposed to Gil 50 gimthe case of decarbonizing by means of gases,

. other stirring means in cas'e of pouredontoan iron bed or on rotating rollers the action ofsolid or gaseous oxydants at. a tem- 1 ch might be from nitrogen, one can mix the iron particles with a neutral material,

' may also heat the charge 2,170,158 PATl-i Nilfi-rpFFlCl-l 2,110,158 nucsnaomzme A cannon roa. INSTANOE no REISSUED October as, 1936, Serial 2 1940 November 4, 1,935

the small iron particles, thus facilitating a quick and far reaching decar for instance to 0.1% and less in a couple of hours. To facilitate still more the removal of carbon the charge may be kept in slow motion by rotating the furnace in which it is heated or by means'of scrapers or a stationary furnace being employed.

When required for certain reasons, for instance for decarbonizing FeCr or FeMn, etc.,--one may introduce hydrogen gas and one may also cause preferably in a' high frequency furnace in order to facilitate the splitting up of for instance a carbide of Cr or Mn, which are much more stable than the cementite'of iron. The method comor steam into the charge it to be heated in vacuo, I

prises also the method of briquetting the raw materials if so desired. v I The soft iron particles obtained may also be compressed into briquettes to facilitate shipping to other places. In such briquettes other metals such as Cr, Mn, W, V, Mo, added in the shape of grains or powder so as to provide alloys when melted later on in an electric or other furnace. By adding a considerable excess of an easily reducible iron ore and using a reducing gas, for instance H: or CO, preferably at the end of the decarbonizing period, one. may sponding increase of iron without any substantial increase of the expenses, thus reducing the cost per ton of soft iron produced. By the addition of 'a basic material such as lime or milk of lime or limestone a substantial amount of the 'sulphur, which might be present in the charge, will be transformed to Cas which may be removed in any suitable way. It is possible that also phosphorus, which may be present as a phosphide of iron, may be removed in the same way. I

If the soft iron obtained is mixed with another solid matter, for instance coarse sand or an .ex-

' cess of ore, a division may be obtained by sift-.

ing, screening,vibration on a suitable surface, by centrifugal operations or in a magnetic separator. Before heating the iron particles they may be classified according to their sizes so as to facili- Ni and Co may be obtain a correa .tate a uniform and quick decarbonizing process. I

may be performed in having electrical or One might for in-' furnace of the internal v The heating operation several types of furnaces other means for heating. stance employ a rotating tubular slightly inclining typehaving burners for heating by means of by means of an electric current using the charge 'as'a resistance in' well known manner. The specific re'sistanceofthe charge may-be: controlled of a neutral material such as The charge may also be from a resistance or an electric-ans inside of lime or qimrts etc.

oil, gas or coal powder. One

by adding more or less I heated by heat radiating furnace, for which purpose electrodes are inserted in proper way. Another way of heating consists in using a tunnel furnace of the type used'for making malleable iron castings or for roasting iron ore briquettes chargin the materials in open or covered hearths" on top of cars, which are gradually heated by the furnace gases when travelling along the furnace tunnel. Decarbonizing may also take place by heating the materials in annealing pots or boxes in the normal type of stationary annealing furnaces employed ,in the malleable iron industry.

Even a coking furnace of the retort or chamber type may be employed for decarbonizing accordiihg to the invention. Decarbonizing may also be effected in a furnace of the pyrite roasting type in which the charge is travelling in counter current to a flow of hot gases or in a kiln for firing bricks having a plurality of chambers arranged in well known manner. One may, naturally, also use any kind of electric annealing furnaces heating the materials in pans or boxes or other receptacles of heat resisting alloys.

When using the method for decarbonizing other metals than pigiron it may be advisable to use other solid oxydants than stated in the case of iron. One mightalso find it useful to increase the temperature considerably in the case of decarbonizing FeCr and ,FeMn.

Regarding the scope of my invention and the means for successfully carrying it out in the practise I do not want to limit myself in any certain way and having nowfully described my invention what I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. A method of producing low carbon iron grains, consisting in heating a charge of small iron granules, obtained by rapidly cooling molten iron in a. cooling fluid, while stirring the charge by revolution in a combustion zone the atmosphere of which, containing CO2- and CO-gas, is suitably composed for oxidizing substantially only the carbon but not the iron of 'the granules, the heating being suflicient for decarbonizing the granules but insuflicient for causing them to melt.

2. In a. method according to claim 1, heating the charge of granules in a combustion zone, the atmosphere of which contains at themost 25% CO2 and at least CO.

3. A method of producing low carbon irongrains, consisting in heating a charge of a mixture of small iron granules, obtained by rapidly cooling molten iron in a cooling fiuid, and an 'easily reducible iron ore in a finely divided state,

while stirring the charge by revolution in a combustion zone the atmosphere of which, contain-- ing CO2 and (JO-gas, is suitably composed for, oxidizing substantially only the'carbon but not the iron of the granules, the heating being-sumcient for decarbonizing'and reducing the charge without melting it, a gas suitable for reducing the iron ore being introduced at the end ofthe decarbonizing period.

4. A method ,of producing low carbon grains of an iron alloy, consisting in heating a charge of small granules of the alloy, obtained by rapidly cooling molt'en' alloy in. a cooling-meangwhile stirring the charge by revolution in a combustion zone the atmosphere of which, containing CO:- and CO-gas, is suitably composed for oxidizing substantially only the carbon but not the medals ofthe granules, theheating being sumcient for decarbonizing the granules but insuflicient causing them to melt. 5'. A method of producing. low carbon iron particles sufliciently for decarbonizing but below the melting point in an atmosphere containing a mixture of C02- oxidizing only the carbon but substantially not the iron of the granules and producing the hot decarbonizing atmosphere by means of internal combustion in the furnace.

6. In a method according to claim 5, diminishing the concentration of the CO-gas in the furnace atmosphere by introducing at least one of the diluting gases N2, H2 and H20. I

7. A- method of producing low carbon iron rains which comprises a subdivision of the iron into small rounded granules by rapidly cooling it while in a liquid state, introducing them-into a tubular; slightly inclining furnace, stirring them byrotating'the furnace and heating the charge in an atmosphere of hot gases, produced by internal combustion of a fuel, said atmosphere containing a,mixture of at most 25% CO2 and CO, substantially Without oxidizing the iron.

8. A method of producing low carbon iron granules which comprises the heating of rounded ranules of iron, obtained by rapidly cooling liq-- uid iron, in a rotating, tubular, internally heated furnace, raising the temperature of the granules sufficiently for decarbonizing but below the meltand CO-gas suitable for ing point whilecausing the charge to be stirred and to move in a direction opposite to that of a flow of gases composed of CO2 and CO and at least one of the diluting gases N2, H2 and H20 and preventing a substantial oxidizing of the iron by a suitable control of the proportions between the CO2- and CO-gas of the furnace -atmosphere. 9. A method of producing low carbon'iron granules which comprises the heating and stirring of a. mixture of rounded granules of iron, ob-

' tained by-rapidly cooling molten iron, and an easily reducible iron ore in a finely divided state in a rotating, slightly inclining, tubular and intemally' heated furnace in an atmosphere capable of decarbonizing-the granules at a temperature below the melting point and then in a reducing atmosphere for producing iron from the ore component of the charge.

10. A method of producing low'carbon iron grains which consists in heating granules of iron produced by rapidly cooling liquid metal together with a basic material sufliciently for decarbonizing them but below the-melting point in an atmosphere containing at least the gases CO: and CO in such proportions that substantially only carbon and sulphur are removed from the iron grains which are otherwise p'racticallyunchanged. 1

11. A method'of producing low' carbon iron of granules by itself sufllciently for decarbonizing it but below the melting point in an atmosphere grains which consists in granulating the iron by rapid cooling, classifying the granules according to their sizes and then heating a graduated class 

